Model Name Changes

We've recently revamped and expanded our VacDry vacuum kiln lineup.  During this process, we realized that our old model naming convention was becoming increasingly convoluted and was not particularly intuitive.  We've gone through and attempted (feedback is always appreciated!) to standardize things such that when looking at a VacDry VK#.# model designation, the basic characteristics are more obvious.

There was some confusion about kiln capacity with our old model designations, as they were multiple capacity approximations without a underlying standard. You rarely have 100% coverage of heating plates, we commonly only see this with bat billets.  For approximation within in the new model designations, we've reduced the capacity of all models by 20% of their ideal volume of 8/4 lumber and rounded to the nearest 500 boardfeet.  Where multiple chambers have similar capacities, we rounded capacities away from adjacent models to allow for unique model identifiers.   If you'd like the exact amount of lumber that a given kiln model will hold feel free to contact us and give us your exact dimensions, we'll do the rest!

As an example of how this process has changed the model numbers, consider the VacDry VK4.0M.  It was supposed to hold ~4000 board feet. Theoretically, it could hold ~4500 boardfeet of 8/4 lumber if there were zero charge build losses, and it will hold ~4875 boardfeet when you load baseball bat billets!  Yet we reduce the capacity by 20% to account for random board widths and lengths, the capacity of 8/4 lumber is now ~3600 boardfeet...and it sure doesn't seem right to call it a VK4M anymore!  So now we have the new model numbering system, and the VK4.0M is now called a VK3.5

The model numbers do not directly represent kiln capacity in any specific real-world situation, they're simply based on one explicit set of starting conditions that seemed most universally fair.  If you're looking for a quick idea on the relative capacity of each kiln model, the new model designations will give you exactly that.  And if you need specific capacity information, do not hesitate to ask!

Finally, all things take time...please bear with us while we work through updating the website, literature, and documentation!

*ideal volume of 8/4 lumber reduced by 20%, read more